Like many members at the Niagara Centre YMCA, Gilberte Fournier hops in the pool at least three times a week.

Aquafit is her workout of choice and she knows the moves better than most.

When the music gets underway, she shows no signs of slowing.

But there’s one important factor that sets the Welland resident apart from others hitting the gym looking to stay fit.

On Nov. 25, Fournier turned 97.

Staff at the Welland facility held a celebration Tuesday to mark not only the retired educator’s birthday, but also her commitment to staying active.

She is not only the oldest member of the Rose City’s YMCA, but also the oldest YMCA member in all of Niagara.

It just so happens it was a near-death experience that prompted Fournier to make the life-changing decision to join the Y back in 1979.

Only weeks before, during a visit to Mexico, she slipped beneath the water and struggled to resurface.

Returning to Canada frightened but unscathed, she was determined to learn how to swim.

Fournier signed up for lessons at the former YMCA facility on East Main St. and never again shied away from the pool.

“Then the day came when I couldn’t swim anymore. I wasn’t strong enough,” she recalled.

But that did not discourage her.

She instead began taking aquafit classes, moving at her own pace and setting her own difficulty level.

Fournier relies on assistance from a cane when walking, but in the water her body is able to find an unmatched freedom.

“I can’t stand for longer than two minutes sometimes, but in the pool it’s different,” she said.

“When I get out, I feel so good. That’s why I come.”

In the ‘70s, Fournier was recommended for knee replacement surgery, but she declined and instead used the pool as a form of therapy.

“I never got the operation,” she said with a laugh, while adding the weekly pool time, which she enjoys thanks to daughter-in-law Cynthia Fournier who drives her to classes, has been good for her joints.

She admitted it’s not always easy pushing herself to get out of the house and into the water.

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself to get out, but I do.”

“I want to stay well,” Fournier said.

“I don’t want to stay in bed for years, so I do what I can.”

Her advice, offered with a cheeky smile: “Don’t be lazy.”

“You have to keep moving.”

Cynthia believes it’s a little luck, good genes and a positive attitude that has helped to keep Fournier so active as she nears 100.